Minthe
by Silver Tallest
Summary: Persephone has a crisis when a nymph says something inappropriate. Written for the prompt of "Oh God, I'm turning into a Monster."


Smoke, thick and caustic, swirled around the heap of dirt on the ground. Screaming nymphs vanished, leaving silence to blanket the meadow, deafening the screaming thoughts in Persephone's mind. She could not break her gaze from the smoldering dirt were a tiny sprout now lay where once a nymph stood.

Her hands shook violently as she peeled her sight from the horror before her to her hands. A storm of emotions rumbled through her as she whispered to herself, "Hades…. Mama…. Help…"

She fell to her knees as her face flushed as the floodgates open. "MAMA!" She cried freely, a child in need of comfort.

With a crack like a whip, Demeter was by her side in an instant, her serpents roiling around her chariot.

"Kore! Darling, what is it?" She knelt beside her daughter, scooping her into her secure arms.

Persephone opened her mouth to speak, to tell her mother everything, but the concern in her mother's voice only pierced her heart with raw sadness. Tears were her answer. Demeter cooed softly, rocking her adult daughter softly to ease her woes.

"I'm right here, darling. I'm always right here. Shh shh shh," she shushed softly, not to silence her, but as a gentle reassurance that her mother was supporting her. Persephone clung to Demeter as the sobs jolted through her body. Demeter glanced at the heap before them, humming to soothe her daughter.

Finally, the sobs seemed to quell, and Persephone pulled away slightly, still in her mother's embrace. She rubbed her tears away hurriedly with her wrist, and could not look Demeter in the eye.

"What is it, Kore?" Demeter asked softly.

"I… I…" Persephone tugged at her long hair, a childhood habit, as she looked away. She glanced back at the tiny sprout and bit her lip to prevent the quivering.

"Persephone," Demeter said carefully, "...what is that?"

Persephone jutted her chin out defiantly, but also a way to keep herself from crying. "...a nymph."

"A nymph! Oh Kore, not again." Demeter sighed and shook her head, Persephone jerked herself away from her mother, tucking her chin against her knees and hugging her legs close to her.

"It's different this time!" Gods, she hated the way her voice started to whine when she was with her mother have the year. She couldn't help it, it just came out as if she was a toddler again.

Demeter stroked Persephone's hair as she turned away, "was Apollo chasing her, too?"

"Daphne _wanted _to become a tree! She prayed and I listened! What good are we as Earth Goddesses if we can't answer prayers?"

Demeter sighed and shook her head, her mouth turned into a thin line. She did not voice her disapproval, but instead wove flowers into Persephone's hair.

Silence hung in the air as Persephone debated telling her more.

"...She disrespected me…" she mumbled.

"Oh?" Demeter wanted to coax more out of her, but many decades without her daughter taught her better than to question. She would tell her on her own volition, she trusted her to, but she feigned indifference to get there.

"She - Minthe, that is her name," Persephone plucked a blade of grass absentmindedly, "_was_ her name," she mumbled quietly, "she- she was lying about my husband."

If it were possible, Demeter's mouth grew thinner. "Mmm," she acknowledged.

"Mama," Persephone peered over her shoulder at her mother, "he's a good husband. He cares for me. He loves me."

"He does," Demeter agreed, although it was clear she was not entirely convinced, "but I did not want you to marry _at all_. If Hera hadn't-"

"Hera has nothing to do with this!" Persephone shouted, jumping to her feet, her emotions still running high. "Minthe was lying, telling the other nymphs that she strolls into the Underworld while I'm here and-! And she-!" Persephone struggled to find the words, clearly not wanting to cry again. "And she said that she was Hades's mistress! That he's no better than Zeus and Poseidon!" No use, hot tears flowed down her cheeks.

Demeter opened her hands to her daughter as she stood as well. "Persephone, I know you don't want to hear it, but my brothers-"

"Hades would NEVER!"

"But if he was missing you and there was a young nymph at his disposal," her mother tried to reason with her, "it's not out of the realm of possibility that-"

"NO! It IS out of the realm of possibility!" Persephone yelled, her vision blurring from the emotions spilling out. She slammed her foot down onto the ground and the earth trembled. Demeter gasped and braced herself against the earthquake as the dirt yawned open. Persephone closed her eyes and stepped forward, plunging into the hole. "And I'm going to prove it!" She called, already falling quickly away from her mother.

"PERSEPHONE!" Demeter cried out as the hole quickly knit itself back together. "YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! PERSEPHONE!"

Demeter reached out to the space with the hole once was; it was sewn seamlessly back together as though it had never split. "It's my time to have you…" she murmured, "my baby…"

* * *

"Minos, send in the next shade," Hades told his other judge. He nodded, leaving through the heavy doors as Rhadamanthys and Aeacus murmured to each other about the last judgment. Hades no longer made the judgements himself, leaving the work to the once-mortal kings, but he still presided over the trials as the cold figurehead. It was rare, but occasionally an occurrence of soul disparity needed his expertise if the three could not come to an agreement.

With a crack like the sound from a whip, Persephone stood before Hades, her face dirty with patches of dirt and streaks of tears. The kings sat mute at the sudden arrival of their Queen, only Hades moved to stand.

"Persephone…" His voice was low and soft, and worry knit on his brow.

She should not be here now. Something was clearly wrong.

"Hades!" She gasped in desperation, running up the stone steps to his throne and flinging herself on him. Her body shook with sobs - of relief or anguish, she wasn't certain- and he held her close.

The doors rumbled open, signaling Minos's return with the shade. Without looking up, Hades commanded, "leave us." Both Rhadamanthys and Aeacus took their cue to leave and to explain the disturbance to their baffled colleague. The doors shut once more.

Hades continued to hold Persephone as her tears and breathing finally slowed as she calmed down. When all that was left of her outburst was mere sniffles, he brushed her hair back with his hand to better look at her face.

"What's all this?"

She pulled away from him, looking at the far corner of his -their- throne room. No longer in her embrace, his hands settled on her arms to steady her. "Hades," she mumbled, "I'm turning into a monster…"

He paused for a moment, letting her words sink in, before erupting in laughter.

"HADES!" She flushed with anger and all he could do was laugh. He cleared his throat, but he could not hide the smile that played at his lips.

"I apologize, my dear wife, but you could not be further from a monster if you tried." He kissed the top of her head. "But clearly something has distressed you. What happened?"

She frowned. "Am I speaking with my husband or my counsel?"

He leaned closer to her, the tip of his nose burying itself in her tresses. "Why can't it be both?"

She begrudgingly smiled, unable to be irritated when he was so affectionate. She rested her head against the crook of his neck.

"A nymph spoke ill of us today," she told him quietly. "And so I…" Her voice quavered for a moment, but she took a deep breath and faced her actions. Much easier to do in his strong arms. "I showed her what happens when you disrespect us."

"And what did she say?" Persephone bristled in his arms at the question. Hades hummed his understanding. "Ah… I shan't ask. But can I expect a new creature around? Like that Arachne girl that besmirched Athena?"

"... not quite a living creature… more like… a plant. I killed her, Hades." She squeezed him harder. "I'm no better than Echidna."

"But are not plants living creatures? Do they not grow, sustain themselves, reproduce, and thrive?" Her grip softened as his words eased her troubled mind. "You are no mother of monsters. Not a murderer… you have only assigned her to a different role. Something clearly divine."

She nodded slowly, digesting his counsel. "You can rationalize very heated actions quite well."

Hades nudged his forehead against hers and smirked. "Have you seen the antics that happen on Olympus? I could make it an Olympic sport."

Persephone sputtered out a laugh from his unexpected teasing and nuzzled her face into his beard. "I still feel bad about it…"

He stroked her hair absentmindedly. "Well, how about this? We tell the mortals to use this new plant. What are the determining features?" He guided Persephone back to her throne and he sat beside her in his. She reached into the folds of her peplos and retrieved a leaf from the herb.

"Well… it has hardy roots, can grow nearly anywhere," she began to weave the story of the green sproutling. "Just as her spiteful words grew in my heart, overtaking any rational thought-" Persephone gritted her teeth. The leaf trembled. "-but… perhaps, it will smell sweet. Will be wanted in this life how it was not in the past."

Hades hesitated at her last sentiment, "What was the nymph's name again?"

Persephone tucked the sprig away. "Minthe. She was a lampade, but I guess was visiting above. ...I should probably apologize to Hecate."

It was Hades's turn to frown. "Unnecessary, she had been reassigned for attempting to usurp your position." He leaned closer to her and cupped her cheek, "a task she never would accomplish." His lips replaced his hand and Persephone leaned into the kiss. The doors into the chamber creaked open again, signaling the judges wanted back in.

"My lord, your counsel has been most welcome," Persephone announced, rising to her feet with Hades following suit, "but I must away again." The judges walked back in, all taking their cue that it was acceptable to return once again. Mortals never stopped dying and they needed to be judged. Persephone tried to remain cordial, but failed in her pretense, covering Hades with kisses.

"Until this autumn, my Queen," Hades whispered in her ear.

"Until then. I love you."

And with another crack, she was gone.


End file.
